Thank you for that information about Joseph Gooch. It seems most of Clifton Holtzclaw's guerrilla band were from either Linn or Howard Couties, although they seemed to operate in Howard County more than Linn County. It's my theory that the Union guard on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad through Linn County and especially the militia companies in some of the towns along the RR tended to keep Holtclaw's operations there to a minimum. Holtzclaw also kept his band in Chariton County some, too. I believe there were larger populations of southern sympathizers in both Chariton and Howard Counties that tended to provide food, shelter, intelligence, medical aid, and etc. for the southern guerrillas that caused many to keep coming back to these "sanctuary areas."

Bruce Nichols